CT school officials address safety concerns

A gunman opened fire in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, killing 27 – 18 of which are children – before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.More >>

Residents of Newtown, CT, are memorializing the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. A gunman opened fire at the school, killing 26 – including 20 children – before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.More >>

The horrific tragedy in Newtown has been felt all over the state of Connecticut, across the nation and even the world. It's made some parents think twice about sending their kids to school.

School administrators in Connecticut are taking a proactive approach and working hard to ensure students are safe.

Wolcott Superintendent Joseph Macary and other school administrators visited all five of their schools Monday to check safety and security. The district has beefed up patrols inside school buildings and outside on campus. It has also canceled outdoor recess for this week. The district has social workers available to help students cope with this tragedy.

In Waterbury, police officers were sent to all of their buildings after the shooting Friday and Eyewitness News was told this heightened police presence will continue.

New Britain school officials said they follow Homeland Security procedures, but they also reached out to local police to see if there was anything more they can do.

Simsbury school officials told Eyewitness News they have a district-wide safety committee, which reviews procedures to make sure schools are safe. Some of the safety features include locking exterior doors and visitor check-in protocols at each school.

Investigators said the doors at Sandy Hook Elementary School were locked, and the gunman forced his way in by shooting out the glass doors.

Lindale Fire Department's first new fire engine was purchased in January of 1945. The original fire truck ran for almost thirty years but it only carried 200 gallons of water. Needless to say the fire department has done a little upgrading since then.

Lindale Fire Department's first new fire engine was purchased in January of 1945. The original fire truck ran for almost thirty years but it only carried 200 gallons of water. Needless to say the fire department has done a little upgrading since then.